Water guard and guide for ball valves



u y 1952 o. H. SCHUH 2,603,793

WATER GUARD AND GUIDE FOR BALL VALVES Filed Feb. '9, 1951 I Fig. 3

0N0 H. Sc/w!) INVENTOR.

BY 21mm Patented July 22, 1952 -.-;UN11%ED I A ES PATENT; I

7 2,603,793 WATER GUARD AND GUIDE FOR BALL I VALVES I I Otto H. Schuh; San Franci co,- Calif.

App i a Fe uar 51 e- 3 8 2 Claims. (01. 4-57,)

- flush-type water closet.

The conventionalflush-type water closet in cludes a discharge flush pipe which is selectively opened and closed by a ball valve suspended upon a lift rod actuated by a manually operated trip mechanism. The closet alsoincludes an overflow or stand pipe and a float valve which fills the closet with water after theball valve has descended and has closed off the discharge flush pipe. 'It is frequently found that because the ball valve is not guided in its vertical "ascent and descent and because of the water entering the closet and exerting lateral pressure on the ball valve, the latter does not e'iiecti'vel'y close off the dis- 'charge'flush pipe- It is, therefore, the'primary object of this invention to provide an attachment in the form of a combined water guard and guide whichwill effectively overcome this disadvantage.

Another important object of this invention is to providea device of the characterdescribed which isadju'stable to accommodate various water closets in which the overflow or sta'ndpipes differ in diameter and also where the distance be-,

tweenthe stand pipes and the discharge flush pipesvary.

A furtherobject of thisinvention is to provide a device of the character described which i is relatively simple in design and construction, inexpensive, and easy to assemble and adjustwithin a conventional Water closet.

These, together with various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will later beembodiment of which has been illustrated by way floor :2 through which extends and tow-hi fiu'sh pipe M. A conventional ball valve I6 is provided to whichis secured a vertically extending lift rod l8 connected'at its upper end as at 2'3 to any manually operable trip mechanism (not shown) for raising the ball valvefrom its "seating engagement with the inner end of the dischargefiush pipe M. An -overflow 'o'r 'standfpipe 22 is secured'in the water closet spaced from the flush pipe I4 and is provided at its lower end with a shoulder 24. I The present device is constructed and desi ned to guide the Vertical movement of the ball valve [6 and to prevent its displacement fromth'e flush pipe by the lateral pressure of the water coming out of the ball cook or float valve (not shown) when the ball valve is descending and movingfinto seating engagement with the flush pipe. I I

. The-device comprises a. plurality of vertically extending guide rods 2 G'Which rest at their lower ends; on the bottom lzi o'f'thewater' closet and are circumferentially spaced about the ir'me'r end of'th'cflush ipe Mano the ballivalVe [6 as shown clearl'yin Figure 1. Af;cla mp means 28 is provided or adjustably alld"relnbVably securing the upper ends ofthe rods" to the overflowpipe 22 and for guidingly receiving the lift rod I8.

This clamp means includes an arcuate plate 30 somewhatinthe form of a spider which is 7 provided with a plurality of. spaced apertures of example only in the accompanying drawings, I

wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the device shown assembled in a water closet;

Figure 2 is a top plan view ofthe device shown in Figure l; I

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 3--3 of Figure 4;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 44 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the guard per se.

Specific reference is now made to the drawings. In the several views in the accompanying drawings and in the following specification reference characters indicate corresponding elements throughout.

Indicated generally at It] is a conventional water closet provided with a bottom member or I upper ends of the rods.

tightly receivin theuppere'nds '32 of the guide rods26, closure nuts 34 being provided upon the The spider-like plate 30 is provided with a laterally. extending central portion 38 havingan aperture 38 slidably and guidingly receiving the lift rod I 8. A substantially circular collar 40 embraces the overflow or stand pipe 22 and is secured thereto by appropriate set screws 42. Inasmuch as the overflow or stand pipes of different water closets differ in external diameter, the internal diameter of the clampcollar 40 is made relatively large to permit the use of a shim or sleeve 44 which is interposed between I the inner surface of the collar and. the outer surface of the stand pipe. The collar is further prois secured in a conventional manner a discharge I distances between the stand pipe and the flush pipe in different water closets.

To prevent the water flowing into the closet from the float valve from unseating or preventing the ball valve l6 from properly seating on the flush pipe, a suitable guard 54 is provided which is shown in detail in Figure 5. The guard 54 is an elongated, vertical, preferably metallic member including an elongated split tube 56 which is made to embrace the overflow or stand pipe 22, the upper edge of the split tube abutting the lower edge of the collar 40' and the lower edge of the split tube abutting the collar or joint 24 at the bottom of the stand pipe. Extending from the split tube 56 at the split portion thereof is a pair of divergent arcuate legs fiflwhich open-to-li ward thet ball valve Hi. In other ,wordsLthe pipe,,an overflow pipe, a lift rod, and a ball valve carried by the lift rod and adapted to open and divergent arcuate legs 60 are interposed between Y the ball valve 16 and the stand pipe 22 as shown;

clearly particularly in Figures 1 and 4. lower edge of one of the legs 60 has a cut-out portion 62 to allow the proper. positioning of the guard 54. The upper free edges'of the divergent legs 6|]v are provided with inwardly extending and'there is variability in the diameter of thestand pipe itself. Because of the aperture 38 in the plate 30 slidably receiving the lift rod 18 and because of the position of the guide rods 26, it will be readily understood that the vertical movement, both ascent and descent, of the ball valve I6will be properly guided. Also, because of the shape andarrangement of the guard 54 and the position of the legs 60 thereof between the ball valve and the stand pipe, it will not be possible for water entering the closet'from the float valve to exert enough pressure on the ball valve 16 to unseat the same or even prevent the same from properly seatingupon the inner end of the discharge flush'pipe. I

'In view of the foregoingdescriptiontaken in conjunction with theaccompanyingdrawings it is believed that arclear understanding ofthe'dee The close the flush pipe, a water guard and guide means comprising vertical'guide rods positioned V at their lowerends in the closet and spaced about the flush pipe and ball valve, laterally adjustable clamp means securing the upper ends of said guide rods to said overflow pipe and slidably receiving said lift rod, and a guard comprising an elongated vertical split tube embracing said overflow pipe, elongated, vertical arcuate, generally divergent legs carried by said tube at the split portion thereof, said legs opening toward said ball valve and being disposed between the latter and said overflow pipe, and hooks carried at the upper ends of said legs for suspending, the latter on said clamp means. 7

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said clamp means includes aplate removably secured to the upper ends of said guide rods, said plate having an aperture slidably receiving said lift rod, a collar, means for securing said collar on said overflow pipe, said collar including a lateral arm having an elongated slot and bearing against said plate, and a headed set screw extending through said slot and plate.

" v OTTO I-LJSCI-IUH.

V REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references areof, record in the file ofthispatent: V V

UNITED STATES PATENTS 'Number fName- 'Date" 1,470,179 Metzger Oct. 9, 1923 2,130,719 Heath Sept. 20 ,1938

2,189,345 Hillegas Feb. 6, 1940 2,429,485 Pleasant Oct. 21, 1947 2,482,970 Garratt Sept. 27, 1949 2,494,655

Green Jan. 17, 1950 

